April 19, 2005 Opening Statement before the House of Commons Finance Committee Opening statement David Dodge House of Commons Finance Committee Last Thursday, we released our April Monetary Policy Report. In the report, we said that the global economy has been unfolding largely as expected, and the outlook for the Canadian economy is essentially unchanged from that in January's Monetary Policy Report Update. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Opening statements
July 4, 2016 Business Outlook Survey - Summer 2016 The summer Business Outlook Survey indicates that overall business sentiment is subdued. The boost from foreign demand remains insufficient to outweigh the continued drag from commodity-related activity combined with modest domestic demand. Content Type(s): Publications, Business Outlook Survey
January 9, 2019 Monetary Policy Report Press Conference Opening Statement Opening statement Stephen S. Poloz Ottawa, Ontario Governor Stephen S. Poloz discusses key issues involved in the Governing Council’s deliberations about the policy rate decision and the MPR. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Opening statements
September 8, 2004 Bank of Canada raises target for the overnight rate by 1/4 percentage point to 2 1/4 per cent Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today announced that it is raising its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 2 1/4 per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate is correspondingly increased, and the Bank Rate is now 2 1/2 per cent. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
July 16, 2002 Bank of Canada raises overnight rate target by 1/4 percentage point to 2 3/4 per cent Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today announced that it is raising its target for the overnight rate by one-quarter of one percentage point to 2 3/4 per cent. The operating band for the overnight rate is correspondingly increased, and the Bank Rate is now 3 per cent. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
October 22, 2014 Release of the Monetary Policy Report Opening statement Stephen S. Poloz Ottawa, Ontario Opening statement of Press conference that was to follow the release of the Monetary Policy Report. Content Type(s): Press, Speeches and appearances, Opening statements
The US Labour Market: How Much Slack Remains? Staff analytical note 2016-9 Robert Fay, James Ketcheson Despite the US unemployment rate being close to estimates of the non-accelerating-inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU), measures of underemployment remain elevated, which could be an indication of remaining labour market slack. The shares of involuntary part-time workers and long-term unemployment are high relative to the current stage of the business cycle, suggesting available labour inputs are being underutilized. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical notes JEL Code(s): E, E2, E24, J, J2, J21, J23 Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting, Structural challenges, Demographics and labour supply
November 16, 1998 Bank of Canada Governor comments on release of the Monetary Policy Report Media Relations Bank of Canada Governor Gordon Thiessen today commented on the release of the Monetary Policy Report for November 1998. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
December 7, 2016 Bank of Canada maintains overnight rate target at 1/2 per cent Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario The Bank of Canada today announced that it is maintaining its target for the overnight rate at 1/2 per cent. The Bank Rate is correspondingly 3/4 per cent and the deposit rate is 1/4 per cent. Content Type(s): Press, Press releases
August 14, 2000 Approaches to Current Stock Market Valuations Bank of Canada Review - Summer 2000 Bob Hannah The increase in North American stock prices in 1999 and early 2000 has generated interest in the valuation assumptions that would make these price levels sustainable. Here, commonly used valuation techniques are applied to stock markets in Canada and the United States. For the comparative yield approach, real interest rates (rather than nominal rates) are preferred as the comparator of choice to yields on stock market indexes. The spreads between real interest rates and stock market yields have generally increased over the last two years. The dividend-discount model (DDM) approach provides an analytic linkage between the equity-risk premium and the expected growth of dividends. It suggests that market values (measured at the end of February 2000) could be sustained only by rapid growth of dividends in the future or by the continued assumption of an uncharacteristically low risk premium on equity. The spectacular rise in the value of technology stocks in 1999 is noted (Chart 4), and then the valuation measures for the Canadian stock market excluding the technology sector are examined. When this is done with the comparative yield approach, yield spreads are slightly lower, and for the DDM approach, one does not need to assume as high a growth of dividends or as low a risk premium to validate market valuations. Two effects of the "new economy" on the stock market are noted. One is the lowering of dividend yields, as new-economy technology companies tend to have a high reinvestment rate and a low dividend payout rate. Another relates to the potential for a higher track for the economy's productivity growth, which would mean that higher-than-historical assumptions about future earnings growth would be more plausible. Several explanations for the decline in risk premiums on equity are considered. While short-term volatility in the stock market has, if anything, increased in recent years, low inflation and improved economic performance, along with demographics and investor preferences, may have contributed to a decline in the risk premium demanded by investors. A scenario of rapid growth of dividends in the near term slowing to historical norms in the longer term is examined. While this approach can go partway towards explaining high stock market valuations, it requires assumptions that are outside historical experience. Content Type(s): Publications, Bank of Canada Review articles